TOP TIPS: THRIFTING HOMEWARE

I’ve always been a huge thrifter, for one, I love finding bargains (David Dickinson would be proud) and secondly I just love being able to find quirky items, things that you wouldn’t necessarily find on the high street. Since moving into our own home we’ve been able to decorate it fully to our own taste using the pieces I’ve gathered from charity shops, car boot sales, hand me downs you name it, anything second hand I’m all over it. I’ve gathered together my top tips for buying second hand homewares.

SET A BUDGET
This would probably be one of my most important tips! It’s very easy to get carried away with those bargains whilst charity shopping, before you know it, two hours has gone by and you’re out of pocket by 50 quid (lesson learnt many a time) these days I usually go with £20 cash in my back pocket and just limit myself otherwise I end up buying stuff for the sake of it, well unless you’re a millionaire then ignore this tip however if you’re lucky enough to be raking it in then charity shopping probably isn’t for you anyway!

HAVE A THEME IN MIND
This is a pretty obvious one, you know what you like, you know how the rest of your house is decorated, you will have a theme in your head of how you want your home to look like so this should be easy. I’m into earthy tones like browns, greys, greens and textures such as wood, metal, slate, ceramics, weave and plants. If you are struggling for ideas then get on Pinterest, I spend a lot of my time pinning home inspo, there are so many different styles out there that you are bound to fall in love with one. Start making mood boards and then take these ideas out thrifting, simple as that.

DIG, DIG & DIG SOME MORE
I’m not going to lie….there is a LOT of shit, unfortunatley you have to rifle through the shit to find the good stuff, but trust me, it’s worth it! On my latest trip I found some absolute gems, you can see what I picked up in my latest Homeware video. Granted, it does take time, it does take patience but if you love finding unique pieces, not to mention bargains then it’s just something you have to do. I find the best stuff tucked away at the back of shelves, in boxes on the floor, up high, poked inside other things, you just need to be aware of whats around. If you really want to get in the know you can ask the shop keepers when their delivery days are, if it is a well known charity they will have deliveries from bigger stores and warehouses on certain days, early bird gets the worm and all that!

KEEP A “NEED LIST” AT ALL TIMES

This goes hand in hand with knowing your theme. I keep a “Need” list on my phone and when something pops into my head that I need it goes straight on the list, rather than quickly heading out to the high street to get it I like to see if I can buy it secondhand first, chances are it’ll be better quality, cheaper and quirkier. I am currently on the hunt for glass jugs to put flavoured water in for BBQ’s or for whenever we are entertaining. I’m also on the hunt for vintage champagne glasses, wicker baskets and plant pots.

SHOP IN SMALL TOWNS INSTEAD OF CITIES
I can’t stress enough how effective this is, the small town charity shops, car boots and jumble sales are where it’s at. Take a step out of the city and head to the countryside, you will be amazed, not only are the prices ten times cheaper but the array of gems is noticeably different. Charity shops in big cities get picked over so quickly because it has become popular for people to grab a bargain and then sell it on for double the price (also a great benefit of thrifting) I don’t have a problem with this as I sometimes do it myself but if you are shopping for yourself and just solely for your home then this isn’t what you want, it’s worth visiting the smaller, less popular places first, you won’t be disappointed.

So there you have it, my failsafe top tips for thrifting homeware pieces, I hope it has helped, if you implement any of these on your next thrifting trip then I’d love to know.